How to Raise an Orc
by Aelaer
Summary: Complete. You thought elf and human children were hard to care for? Try orc children… Characters include Legolas, Aragorn, Thranduil, and OCs.
1. A Strange Find

Disclaimer: Middle-earth and all characters of Middle-earth belong to the Tolkien estate. Original characters belong to me and may not be used without permission.

A/N: I have no idea where this little thing came from. Here I was, reading away about goblins, and then _this_ pops up. My mind terrifies me at times… the idea came a few years ago, but I did not post it until it was completely written. So, yes, this fic is finished. New chapters will come every few days.

Additional A/N: This humor fic stretches canon quite a bit. Possible, yes. Probable, though? Not likely. But hey, that's what fan fiction is for :) And, humor aside, if one is really bored you can look at this as a "nature vs. nurture" commentary... (though my own opinions concerning orcs are quite opposite of Laerwen's, truth be told.)

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Chapter One: A Strange Find

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23rd of yávië, 2955 TA

"Laerwen, I swear that if you do not slow down I will take you straight home!"

The young elf looked to her older brother with a mischievous grin. "You cannot keep up with me, my dear brother?" taunted Laerwen. "And to think that you are hundreds of years my elder!"

"Thus making me hundreds of years wiser!" he retorted back at her. "And as your wiser, elder brother, I say that you need to slow down and stay close! These paths are not as safe as the gardens! You are fortunate enough that _adar_ did not send the a whole contingent of soldiers to look after you!"

Laerwen stopped her horse and glanced back at him. "Legolas, you worry too much. We are not a league away from his halls. Not even a mile, I would deem! Now come and enjoy yourself!" With a laugh she sprang off once more.

Legolas glowered as he set off after her. Behind him he heard muffled laughter. "Estel, if you do not stop laughing, I shall relieve you of your head."

Aragorn smirked at his disgruntled friend. "I doubt you would do something so horrifying in front of your young sister."

Legolas glared at the dark-haired man. "I think I shall then do so while she is away," growled the elf.

The young man continued to smirk. "Nay, for she would be horrified by the sight of my headless body. You do not want that image to haunt her mind forevermore, do you?"

"She is over fifty summers old. She's old enough to see death," retorted the elf. "Besides, I do not think you would be missed much."

Aragorn laughed, and shook his head. "But your brotherly instincts would not allow her to witness it, fifty years or not."

Legolas was about to retort once more when a shrill scream pierced the calm forest atmosphere. "Legolas! Legolas, come quickly!"

With one look at his friend, Legolas galloped in the direction of Laerwen's voice, Aragorn on his heels.

* * *

Legolas did not know what to expect. What had happened to his younger sister? Was she caught by spiders, ambushed by orcs, attacked by another type of enemy? What had made her scream out like that?

In but a moment he reached her. Her back was to him, and she held something in her arms. To the side was her steed, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but near her. Thankfully she appeared unhurt, and Legolas was glad.

However, when she turned around all of his gladness quickly disappeared.

"Legolas! Look what I found. He was left alone to fend for himself, the poor thing."

Legolas looked upon possibly the most hideous thing he had ever seen. It was shriveled, small, and black in color; its big, yellow eyes were observing its surroundings with open curiosity. Strands of oily grey hair fell from its scalp, and its small fingernails were sharp and a dark color. The elf thought he had seen it all; he was wrong.

"Laerwen, is that… an orc?" asked Aragorn, jumping off his horse and looking at it with disgust. He went to approach it, but thought better of it and stayed near his gelding, the look of repulsion not leaving his face. Legolas mirrored his friend's look, but Laerwen seemed oblivious to both of their open contempt.

"I'm not sure what it is, but he's just a babe!" said the young elf. "Do not worry, little one, I will protect you." It gurgled and made a grab for her long hair. She giggled and pushed her blonde locks aside, away from its reach.

"That _is_ an orc!" exclaimed Legolas in revulsion, pulling out his knife.

"No, Legolas!" his sister screamed in pure horror. "You cannot kill him!"

"Of course I can kill him- it! Of course I can kill it!" said he. "Now drop that hideous monster and step back!"

"No! I won't let you!" she screamed defiantly, bringing the orc closer to her body. It gurgled in blissful ignorance. "He's just a baby; a defenseless baby. You cannot kill him!"

"It is an _orc_," Legolas stressed, trying to get the meaning through to his sister. "It is the spawn of monsters that torture and kill for pleasure."

"They do so because they are taught to!" she shouted back. "They are raised to be monsters! If they weren't raised to be monsters, I'm sure they would turn out fine. Isn't that right, little one?" The orc gave a squeal that could be thought of as laughter.

"Laerwen, it may be sweet when it is young, but when it grows up, it will be a cold-hearted killer!" Legolas said, taking a step towards her.

"Not if he is raised to be a good person," she insisted, taking one step back.

"You cannot raise that beast!"

"Can too!"

"Father will not allow it!"

"Then I'll stay out here!"

Legolas grimaced and looked at Aragorn. "Estel, help me!"

Aragorn held up his hands. "I'm not getting into this one, my friend."

Legolas sighed in agitation. "Laerwen, please, use your head-"

"Legolas, have you no heart? He is just an innocent babe! He is sweet and is not like older orcs. If he is raised with the proper care and love, I'm positive he will turn out good! How could you just kill a young, defenseless baby?" Her eyes widened and she pouted. Everyone in Mirkwood feared her pout. She had inherited it from her mother, who had possibly the most heart-wrenching pout on the face of Arda. No one could stand it for long.

Legolas groaned. "Laerwen..."

"Legolas..." She started to pout even more.

The older elf sighed. "Father and Mother will not allow it."

"Mother will be fine. She'll understand."

"Father won't."

"Then you'll convince him!"

"I most certainly will not!"

She used her deadly pout on him once more. He sighed again. "Fine, fine, I will!" He knew that he would _not_, but he was willing to say anything at this point just to get her back to their home. He would let his father set her straight.

Her face broke into a big smile, and she cooed at the orcling in her arms. It gave a high-pitched squeal-like laugh again. She grinned. "You need a name, yes you do, my sweet. Hmm… I shall call you Arloth. Yes, you shall be Arloth, little one." She leapt onto her horse, completely unaware of his nervous state with the close proximity to the orc. She was also unaware at the looks of incredulity her two companions gave her as she rode towards her father's halls.

Legolas and Aragorn jumped onto their own steeds and looked at each other in disbelief.

"Did I hear her correctly? Did she just name that... that _creature_ 'Arloth'?" Legolas asked in horror.

Aragorn nodded slowly, as if in a daze. "Aye. She did." A pause. "Only your sister would name an orc 'royal flower'."

Legolas nodded absentmindedly. "Royal flower. Perfect." He started after his younger sister, trying his hardest to ignore her cooing and its gurgling and squeals. "Father is going to kill me."


	2. On the Way Home

Hah, wow, I wish all of my stories were as popular as this one was off the back XD Thanks for the reviews!

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Chapter Two: On the Way Home

He did not know what evil demon had taken a hold on his sister. He had no idea what possessed her and what had made her pick up an abandoned orcling and care for it as if it were an elf. An elf, a human, even a dwarf; he could understand that. But an _orc_? And there she was in front of him with her consistent coos. _Ai Elbereth_!

"Legolas?"

He had to get rid of it, somehow. Even the _horse_ knew that something was wrong with this demented creature. Horses had a sixth sense, almost; her horse knew the smell of an orc, and orcs equaled Bad. Yes, Bad. With the capital.

"Legolas, _mellon nin_?"

And now here they were, he and his sister and his friend and an _orc_, trotting along with three nervous horses to the palace. If the guards didn't kill them on sight, thinking them enemies with that horrid smell, his father surely would. _Ai_, his father…

"Legolas!"

Legolas shook himself out of his dark thoughts. "Yes, Estel?"

"That's the third time I called you."

"Indeed?"

"Aye."

"I see… is there any particular reason as to why you were calling me out of my thoughts?"

"You were sending death glares to Laerwen."

"As if that is different from any other time?"

"You have your hands on your knives."

Legolas hastily removed them. "Oh."

Aragorn sighed, and gave his friend a small smile. "Worry not. I'm sure King Thranduil will put some sense into her."

"I hope so."

"Legolas, I have never seen your father lose in a battle of wills."

"You have not seen him argue against my sister."

"… That bad?"

"Worse than you can possibly imagine."

Aragorn suddenly felt very sorry for the elf.

"Take that look off your face."

"What look, Legolas?"

"The 'I feel so sorry for you' look."

"I assure you, I do not feel any remorse for you. None whatsoever."

Silence. Finally, "Thanks, Estel. That makes me feel much better."

"Anytime."

They rode in silence for a bit longer, with only Laerwen's sweet talk and the orc's high squeals breaking the peace.

Suddenly, two elves dropped from the trees above, arrows nocked and bows taut. Once they saw whom their arrows were pointed at, they immediately went slack. However, their gazes went straight to Laerwen and the little 'bundle of joy' in her arms. She seemed not to notice that her horse had stopped, nor the two elves that stood in front of her.

"Greetings Malgalad, Lasgal," spoke Legolas.

The two sentinels looked from Laerwen to Legolas. One of them finally found his voice. "Greetings, my lord prince," he said with a small bow. "We were… not expecting you back so soon."

"We… found something along the way," said Legolas tersely, glancing at his sibling. "Laerwen."

"… Yes you are my darling, little Arloth, yes you are, yes you are my beautiful young man, yes you are-"

"Laerwen!"

She abruptly looked up from the orcling to her brother. She finally realized that they had stopped and noticed the two elves in front of her. "Oh. Good day, master elves." Forgetting all rules of courtesy she was taught over the years, she turned back to the orcling, who was currently playing with a lock of her long hair and giving loud, delighted squeals.

The two elves were staring at her openly when Legolas lightly cleared his throat. They slightly jumped and turned their attention back to the prince. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"My lord…" started one hesitantly. "Forgive me for being so bold, but… is that…?"

"Yes, it is, Lasgal. It is."

Lasgal nodded, suddenly very silent and unsure how to reveal his thoughts. Malgalad did it for him.

"My lord, I am not sure if King Thranduil would allow that… creature inside his halls," stated Malgalad uncomfortably.

"I know, I know. I have already tried to convince her to let it go, and she refuses." Legolas sighed. "Malgalad, I would have you alert my father of the… situation. We shall meet him at the front gates, where hopefully he can… persuade her to abandon it."

Malgalad bowed, gave one last glance at Laerwen, and went off into the trees to make his way to the Wood-king's halls. Lasgal looked to the prince for instruction.

"You shall return to your duties, Lasgal. I bid you good evening." Lasgal bowed and followed Malgalad, disappearing from sight.

Laerwen seemed once more oblivious to her surroundings and what had just taken place. Currently, she was allowing the orc to nibble at her finger; she giggled, and it squealed.

"Come, Laerwen," said Legolas, starting on the path home once more. Though she did not seem to hear, her horse did, and gladly obeyed.

She was now whispering something else to the orcling, and Aragorn looked at the young elf-maiden with amusement. Legolas was far too distracted by pessimistic thoughts to bother with her. Aragorn rode up beside his friend and the elf could see that his eyes were laughing.

"_Mellon nin_," the man said, "she's teaching him Sindarin."

Legolas blinked in disbelief and shot her a look. He caught a whispered, "No, no, Arloth. _Naneth_. Say _naneth_," before its squeals drowned out her voice.

Legolas didn't bother to hold back a groan, and looked at his friend. The man's eyes were twinkling and it was obvious that he fought hard to hold back a smile. Legolas glared.

"I'm glad you find this situation amusing, Estel."

"I'm glad you're glad, Legolas."

A moment of silence. "Estel, wipe that smile off your face."

"As you wish, my lord prince."

Legolas growled. This day just kept on getting worse and worse, and he doubted it was going to get any better.

* * *

Elbereth: Varda, the Vala who is Queen of the Stars and highly revered amoung the Eldar.  
Mellon nin: 'my friend'  
Naneth: 'mother'


	3. A Battle of Wills

Chapter Three: A Battle of Wills

Coos. Those bloody coos. Those awful baby orc gurgles and high-pitched squeals. He could not take it anymore.

Legolas was seething. That stupid child! That foolish young elf-maid! Why would she not just abandon that hideous creature? For Elbereth's sake, it was an _orc_! Anyone in their right mind would not just pick up some orc left on the side of the road; it was obviously left there for a good reason! That stupid, stupid sister of his…

Aragorn was highly amused by the whole episode, but even he was reaching the end of his patience. He hoped they would reach Legolas' home soon, lest he decide to lose his temper and slay the young princess… that is, of course, if Legolas did not slay her first. Indeed, if looks could kill, she would have been dead a long time ago. As it is, looks are relatively harmless, so Laerwen and her charge were lucky.

For the moment, at least.

"Laerwen!"

The young elf looked up. "_Adar_!" she smiled cheerfully. Yes, they had finally reached the gates of the Elf-king's halls. Said Elf-king was not looking very happy at the moment. Yes, that is a large understatement.

By his side was his wife, the Queen. She looked at her daughter with a frown, but if one knew the Queen well, you would be able to see that her eyes sparkled and that, in truth, she was quite amused.

"Laerwen Thranduiliel, what in Elbereth's name were you thinking?" demanded her father.

Her cheerful expression turned into confusion. "Whatever do you mean, _adar_?" she asked politely.

"What do I mean?" he shouted, ignoring the startled looks from all of his subjects present. "What do I mean? I mean that!" He pointed an accusing finger at the orcling, who was playing with her hair once more.

She looked down at the babe, and she smiled. "Oh, you mean Arloth? Well, we found him on the side of the road, and he is only a babe; I could not just leave him there!"

Thranduil stared at her, mouth hanging open. He quickly changed his expression to a cold, yet lordly face and turned to his son. "Legolas, how could you let her bring that loathsome creature here?" His tone was even, cold, and was an obvious 'I Am Not Happy And You Better Have A Good Explanation' tone.

Legolas shook his head. "I tried, lord, but I could not change her mind! I do not believe even force could have stopped her. I-"

Laerwen suddenly realized that her father had called her little Arloth 'loathsome'. She grew angry, and Aragorn witnessed for the first time the Wrath of the Princess of Mirkwood. Any onlookers that still lingered quickly disappeared.

"Loathsome? _Loathsome_!" She jumped off her horse (who was very relieved when she did) and stomped towards her father in a very childish manner. Arloth giggled and squealed, and Thranduil looked at it in horror.

"Father, Arloth is not loathsome! He is an innocent babe that can be taught right if raised by a good person!"

"He is an orc, and I shall not stand having an orc in my halls!"

"Elf, orc, dwarf, or man; it does not matter what is on the outside! It's what is inside that counts. That is what you and _naneth_ always tell me."

"Orcs are different," insisted Thranduil. "They are born evil and kill without mercy. I have had much experience with them, whilst you've had none at all."

"Which would make this a good learning experience," insisted Laerwen. "And besides, how do you know that they are evil from the moment they are born? Have you watched one be born before, _adar_?"

"Yes, I have," he said. "And they are very evil from the beginning. I saw one eat its mother."

It was at this point that the Queen, Legolas, and Aragorn wisely snuck away. Seeing where this argument was going, it would take hours until they would come up with a solution. Very wise indeed.

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I looked up 'daughter' on some Sindarin word-list, and it said it was 'iel'. Since 'Thranduilion' is 'son of Thranduil', I changed it to 'Thranduiliel' to make it 'daughter of Thranduil'. I have no idea if this is correct and would greatly appreciate it if someone could correct me if I am mistaken.


	4. Dinner

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Chapter Four: Dinner

It was suppertime, and the royal family and two guests were dining in a private room. At the head of the table sat King Thranduil, while at the other end sat his wife. To Thranduil's left sat Legolas, with Aragorn beside him. To his right sat his most trusted advisor and friend, Saelril. Seated right between the advisor and the Queen was Laerwen. And she was currently very happy. Yes, the young princess had won the argument.

Thranduil was currently glaring at the orcling in her lap as she ate dinner. Every other bite, she would give him some of her food from her plate… some of _his_ food that he had provided for his family and kingdom. And she was feeding it to the foul beast.

She fed him a bit of everything on her plate: meats, breads, fruits, and greens. Naturally the young orc preferred the meat to the other foods, but nevertheless he ate everything presented to him. Laerwen was smiling as he ate, muttering things such as "That's my healthy young boy!" and "Good Arloth, eat all of your fruit."

Legolas mimicked his father's expression as he ate. He still could not believe that she was actually permitted to keep that _thing_. After he, Aragorn, and his mother had left the scene, they had stayed for about half an hour longer, arguing over the orc and completely uncaring as to what others thought of their argument. When they did come back inside, his father was stamping about in a most un-elflike manner, demanding an early dinner. Naturally the servants had immediately complied.

Aragorn was looking at his friend, unsure if whether to be amused or concerned. Both he and the king looked ready to kill anyone who made them angrier. But as for now, their object of loathing and hate was the princess. The young ranger was sure to be as inconspicuous as possible that night… and maybe many nights to come. Perhaps it would be best to just leave Mirkwood and let the royal family solve their problems…

The most trusted advisor of the king was quite unsure what to make of the current situation. His king and prince were obviously furious at the young princess, who, for some reason, found a young orc sweet enough to informally adopt. He looked to his queen to see her reaction, and was somewhat surprised to find amusement sparkling in her eyes as she quietly ate. But then, the queen of Mirkwood could be surprising at times.

"Legolas," said she soothingly. "Your food is getting cold. As is yours, husband."

The sudden interruption brought both Legolas and his father out of their mood, and each face (other than Laerwen and her charge) looked to the queen. She gave them a smile and started to eat again

Thranduil gave her a small nod, blinking a couple times. "Of course, Miriel," he muttered, turning his attention to his food. "Eat, Legolas," he said without looking up.

The table fell once more into an uncomfortable silence as they all resumed eating. About five minutes later, Laerwen stood up, Arloth giving a little squeal as she did. Both Legolas and Thranduil visibly flinched, but did not look up. Saelril, Aragorn, and Miriel, however, looked at her questionably, trying their best to ignore the orc.

"I have eaten, as has Arloth. If I may, father, mother, be excused?" she asked.

Thranduil gave a short nod, still not looking up. His wife smiled at their daughter. "Of course, Laerwen."

Laerwen smiled at her mother, bowed her head in acknowledgement to the others, and left the room, Arloth gurgling the whole way.

She closed the door, and the room was silent once more. Then Thranduil banged his fist against the table, and everyone visibly jumped. Slowly he brought up his eyes to face them. They could see fury and frustration burning in them, yet behind this anger there was another emotion: concern. Only those closest to the king would ever be able to see that concern, but it was there.

"That infuriating child!" he seethed. "I cannot make her get rid of it! Her youth and innocence blind her! Never before has she seen a grown orc; never before has she battled with them, and watched them slaughter your companions right before your eyes… and may Elbereth weep if that day ever comes! She does not know the true nature of an orc."

"My lord," started Saelril quietly and slowly. "Can you not force her to get rid of that horrid creature?"

"I tried! Trust me, I tried," the king said exasperatedly. "But I could not. She threatened to run away with it if I let her not keep it; I don't believe she would have ever gotten past any of the border guards if she did. But…" He let out a soft sigh, and then looked to his wife. "I am afraid that she is growing a connection with that orcling as a mother grows a bond with her child. Though she is young, she has the motherly instincts all women have, and Laerwen has put it on herself to care for that beast. If I forced it from her… I fear it would scar her."

Miriel looked at her husband with deep concern, all earlier amusement gone from her eyes. If her daughter kept that orc, serious problems could develop. She somehow had to convince her to abandon it… or something.

With this set in her mind, she stood up and looked at the four men at the table. "I shall talk to her and try to convince her to leave the orc. Hopefully, if I explain, she will… but you are correct; it cannot be forced from her. She must decide this on her own." Nodding to them in parting, she silently left the room.

Thranduil let out a small sigh. "I hope Miriel can convince her… but that child can be so stubborn."

"A family trait," muttered Aragorn under his breath. When he realized that the three elves had heard him, he had the decency to blush and mutter an apology.

Thranduil waved his hand. "It is forgotten," he said, and then gave a small smile. "Indeed, think not that I haven't heard the whispers of Laerwen being 'as stubborn as her father'." They all let out low chuckles.

"And as stubborn as her brother," said Aragorn, giving Legolas a pointed look. Legolas looked up at him, ready to retort to the comment. "And do not deny it, Legolas!" he added, a large grin on his face.

Legolas shook his head. "Do not be hypocritical. You are just as stubborn yourself, _adan_," he rejoined.

"But not nearly as stubborn as you," he shot back.

Saelril shook his head as they bantered playfully. He then stood up, and bowed. "Thank you for having me, my lords. I enjoyed the supper," he said.

Thranduil smiled. "You are welcome anytime, my old friend," he said. "But I imagine that tonight we weren't very pleasant company."

Saelril returned the smile. "Under the current circumstances, my lord, you can hardly be blamed." He bowed again. "I take my leave, my lords. Have a good night." With that, he left the room.

Legolas than stood up, Aragorn quickly mimicking his actions. "Well Father, Aragorn and I shall be outside in the private gardens if you need us. If there is any change in Laerwen's mind, I'd be most appreciative if you would send someone to fetch us." Thranduil nodded, and both his son and his friend left the room.

Thranduil sighed and looked blankly around the empty room. He dearly hoped his wife could knock some sense into their daughter before the night's closure.


	5. Conversations

Chapter Five: Conversations

As Legolas had told his father, he and Aragorn made their way to the gardens that were reserved for the royal family and their guests. Often one or more members of the royal family could be found there for a variety of reasons. This evening, the son of the king and his friend were there to discuss an issue that even they never imagined discussing.

At the moment, Aragorn was sitting at the base of a large tree, legs stretched out in front of him and a thoughtful look on his face. Above him in the tree sat Legolas, leaning against the trunk with an impassive expression as he watched the late afternoon sun make its way further west. For many minutes they sat in silence, content to let their troubled minds rest for a moment.

However, the situation needed to be discussed further, and Aragorn finally broke the silence. "Out of all strange creatures to adopt, your sister decides to adopt an orc. I do believe that is a first."

"It would be her," Legolas said after a moment of thoughtful silence. His anger had cooled down to concern and bemusement, and he was finally able to think about his sister and her orc without deadly thoughts. "She's always been compassionate towards other living things- I mean, more so than the usual elf. But even then, this is a bit extreme."

"I didn't even know there were orc babies," Aragorn said, slightly frowning. "Or orc females. Have you ever seen a female orc, Legolas?" he asked, looking up at the elf.

"I don't know," Legolas shrugged. "I suppose they are like dwarves; I mean, they are hard to tell apart from males," he hastily explained to Aragorn's raised eyebrow. "I never really, well, paid attention."

Aragorn nodded. "Me neither," he said, the slight frown still on his face as he thought deeply upon this subject. After a moment of companionable silence, he broke it again with more questions. "Do you think that orc females take care of their children or fight with males? Do they mate with one or many? Do they have separate living dens for orc women and orc children?"

Legolas blinked. "I- I don't know!" he said, frowning down at the Ranger. "Where did all of these questions come from, Estel? Why do you want to know about _orcs_, out of all things?"

"I... don't know," he finally said with a shrug. "I had just never thought about it before, and I suppose I was just curious."

Legolas shrugged again and leaned against the trunk. "Do not think about such things. As far as I am concerned, the only thing an orc has tried to do to me is kill me, and I'd rather kill it first." Aragorn could not argue with that logic, especially since he had encountered many orcs in his young life already, and none of them had been particularly friendly.

The two once more fell into a comfortable silence, the elf prince in the tree, and the mortal Ranger on the ground. Both were still and deep within their own thoughts for a few moments, until finally the young man broke the silence again.

"Legolas?"

"Hmm?"

The Ranger looked up once more at his friend, his eyes wide. "Do you think orc mothers _eat_ their children?"

"Aragorn!"

* * *

Miriel approached her daughter's door with what could be called hesitation; something quite unusual for the queen. Beyond the doorway she could hear her young daughter cooing to Arloth- here she smiled in disbelief at the name- and otherwise caring for the creature as if it were her own baby. Miriel's smile faded as the thought sank in. Baby or not, the creature was an orc, and it simply could not be allowed to reside here any longer. She had to convince her daughter to get rid of the beast, one way or another.

The elf lightly rapped on the door, and she heard Laerwen call her in. The queen quietly opened the door and quickly shut it behind her when the orc started squealing again, hoping to shut out some of the sound from the rest of the king's halls.

"Good evening, Laerwen," she greeted her daughter.

"_Suilad nana_," the young elf greeted her mother with a warm smile. Miriel smiled back, but her smile faded when her daughter turned back to the orcling, who was currently playing with her hair.

"Laerwen, we need to talk," she said, sitting down on her daughter's bed. Frowning, Laerwen joined her, giving her a suspicious look.

"If Father sent you here, tell him-"

"No, he did not 'send me' here," the queen said with a quiet laugh. "No, I came here on my own accord." Laerwen immediately relaxed, but tensed when her mother spoke again. "Nevertheless, it does concern the orc."

"Mother-"

"No, no, listen to me first, child," her mother insisted. "I may not be screaming, but I am very displeased that you did not listen to your father." Laerwen was about to speak again, but immediately stopped when the queen shot her a look. "You should listen to him, for despite your disagreement with his opinion, your actions have a direct effect on his reputation." Immediately the scornful look on Laerwen's face turned to one of concern. Miriel knew exactly where to go from there. "Because of your direct disobedience, the people's faith in your father's command has wavered." Miriel knew that this was not exactly true, but Laerwen did not need to know that, especially since this little speech was working. "The only reason you did not receive punishment is because of your age; however, do you want your father to suffer for your actions? The people will not accept the king's daughter harboring an orc, no matter how young it is. You must remember who you are, and that your actions affect your father's repute with our people."

Laerwen was looking rather repentant now, and for once she was ignoring the creature who was chewing on her hair. Miriel, holding back her disgust, gently removed the hair from the orc's mouth and brushed it behind Laerwen's back. She waited for her daughter to gather her thoughts.

"I... I'm sorry, _naneth_," she said quietly. "I... I suppose I was not thinking about all of that when I argued with _adar_. It is just-" and here she looked down at the creature in her lap, "-it is just that he is so young and helpless, and I thought we were supposed to help the helpless..."

Miriel sighed, gently brushing her daughters hair. "I understand, darling, and I would agree with you. However, orcs are different. Unlike elves, men, or even dwarves, orcs were created by a dark lord many thousands of years ago. They were originally corrupted from beings of light, but in this Age, they are simply born evil. Even if this orc is delightful and happy as a baby, its evil instincts will take over, and one day it will turn against you. You cannot let that happen."

Laerwen nodded miserably and wiped the tears off of her face. "Al- alright. I understand, I suppose."

Miriel smiled at her daughter. "Do not weep, child. Your love and thoughtfulness is something to rejoice, but one day, you will understand why this needs to be done." The young elf simply nodded. "Would you like to hand him over to someone else now? You simply cannot keep him here."

Laerwen shook her head. "I know I cannot keep him here, but... please, give me an hour more with him. I will then apologize to _adar_ and... he can have Arloth then."

"All right, then," the queen smiled once more. She stood, gave her daughter a kiss on the brow, and left her alone to her orcling.

The queen made her way over to her husband's office, where she knew she would find him. He always spent time in his study when he was in a foul mood, and he had good reason to be foul that evening. She quietly knocked on the door and entered before he said anything. The knock was more of a courtesy gesture than anything; Thranduil would never deny his queen entry.

He was quietly brooding over some documents, though she doubted he read any word on them. She cleared her throat, and her husband looked up, an unreadable look upon his face. At her gentle smile his expression became more relaxed.

"Well? Will she give up the creature?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"I managed to convince her that keeping it was not in our best interests," the queen said as she sat down on a chair across from her husband.

Thranduil let out a sigh of relief, visibly relaxing in his chair. "Good. I am not sure how you did it, but I am glad you did. I better send someone to pick it up, then."

"She asked for an hour longer with it," Miriel spoke before he could do anything. "I granted her request."

Thranduil let out a breath of frustration and shook his head. "An hour. Very well then. But the sooner that orc is out of my halls, the better."


	6. The Final Hour

Thank you for all reviews. This is the second to last chapter.

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Chapter Six: The Final Hour

Laerwen sat on the edge of the bed, ignoring the being in her lap for the first time that night. After her mother had left, she felt absolutely ashamed of her actions. Who was she to directly disobey the command of her father and lord? The thought that she had damaged his reputation absolutely horrified her. She never meant to do that; she just wanted to keep Arloth safe.

She once more turned her attention to the small orc, who was happily unaware of the fate awaiting him. The young elf wondered what would happen to him once he was taken away; would someone take him to the borders and leave him there? Perhaps they would be kind enough to leave him near his kin, and not near the spiders. They wouldn't want to put him in any danger, would they...?

The elf remembered her father's look when he first saw her Arloth, and a terrible thought came to her. Certainly her father would not have the small orc put to death, would he? Would he kill him in cold blood? The thought made her shudder. All of them were so biased against orcs, and they would never see it as an evil act. However, Laerwen feared that the Powers across the Sea would, and that they all would be condemned for their evil. She could never let that happen!

She wondered if she should bring up her concerns with her father, but immediately dismissed the idea; he would never see it her way, and she had already caused enough damage in her arguments with him. Nonetheless, she had to do something to prevent her father from damning his soul.

After a moment of deep thought, Laerwen came up with a solution. Rather than hand off Arloth to another, she would take him out herself. It would not take that long; she knew that there was a relatively long distance between the sentries straight north of the halls. Of course the average elf was not privy to sentry details, but she, being the king's daughter, did not have a difficult time finding the information herself. And most elves would not pay attention to a young elf's curiosity. She never thought it would pay off, but was glad that she had listened and asked questions all these years.

With this plan set in her mind, she mapped an escape route in her mind. While Thranduil's halls were underground, many rooms on the side of the hills had windows and balconies. Her room was one of them. Outside of her balcony there was a large tree; she knew from experience that she could climb from her balcony to the ground using this tree. Once she made her way down, she could easily make her way north to the royal family's private gardens, and from there take a little-known exit out of the area that surrounded the king's halls.

However, she would need both hands climbing down the tree; what was she to do with Arloth? Bouncing the baby slightly in her lap, she looked around the room as if hoping it would present her with a solution. Eventually, it did. As she stared at a tapestry across the room, Laerwen came up with an idea. She stood, gently placed the young orc on a cushioned chair, and tore her bedding apart as she took a sheet from its covers. Folding it half, and in half again, she made it small enough so it would tie comfortably around her like a sling. The elf tied off two parts of the folded sheet to make a pouch, slung it around her shoulder, and then tied it so it would be secure to her. After adjusting it a bit, Laerwen was finally satisfied. She gently placed Arloth into the sling, and was happy to note that it did its job well enough. If he did not move around too much, it would work out fine.

"Now, my darling, listen to _naneth_. I need to take you home and out of danger, so we must leave my home. But you must be silent and still as we do, for otherwise this will not work. Do you understand?"

The orcling looked at her and squealed, reaching for her hair. Taking that as a 'yes', she walked out on her balcony. Once shutting the balcony doors behind her, she took a deep breath, exhaled, and walked towards the large branches that brushed against the balcony. She would get Arloth to safety, or die trying.

-

Aragorn and Legolas, once they had heard that Laerwen was giving up the orc, relaxed quite a bit; the news had taken a load off of their minds. They had headed to Legolas' room some time ago, and now both were deep in their own thoughts. The comfortable silence between the two lasted for a few moments; not even they could say how long. Legolas, however, broke the silence when he abruptly stood up from his bed. Aragorn, who was lounging in a chair, glanced at his friend.

"I should check up on Laerwen. My sister grew quite attached to that beast, and I don't think it will be easy for her to give it up. Maybe I can help her, somehow."

"How?" Aragorn asked, pushing himself up. "I am not sure if vivid stories of your battles would do the trick."

"Don't be ridiculous," Legolas said, rolling his eyes as he opened his door. "I'll just be there to comfort her- you don't have any younger siblings, so I suppose I cannot expect you to understand."

"I am wounded," Aragorn remarked sardonically, following the elf out the door. "You might as well teach me then, O Wise One."

"I shall be happy to," the elf shot back with a smirk. They made their way down a few doors to Laerwen's room, and Legolas knocked on the closed door. "It's Legolas. May I come in?" When there was no answer, Legolas sighed. "Laerwen, I am not here to scold you. Will you at least grace me with a response?" When silence met his inquiry, he rolled his eyes. "I am coming in, then!" With that, he opened the door.

The room was empty. They saw that half of her bed sheet was torn, but that otherwise the room was completely normal. Frowning, they entered the elf maiden's chambers and looked to see if there was anything out of the ordinary, but other than the sheets, all was well.

"Where is she?" Legolas frowned. "We would have heard her in the halls if she had left; that orc is louder than a battle."

"Perhaps..." Aragorn trailed off as he glanced from the bed sheet to the balcony. "She is still young enough to need both hands to climb a tree, yes?"

"Yes, but what-" Legolas cut himself off as he realized what conclusions his friend had made. They both ran to the balcony, looking at the tree accusingly.

"She's gone with that orc!" Legolas cried. "She must have climbed down; but wherever could she have gone?"

"We will not know unless we follow her," Aragorn said, grasping at the overhanging tree branch and pulling himself up on it. "I shall meet you at the bottom; look for any signs of her trail."

Legolas nodded, quickly jumping off the balcony and descending the tree. As the man made his way down a bit more slowly, Legolas looked at the surrounding area for signs of her. When Aragorn reached the bottom, the elf beckoned him over to the north side of the tree.

"I am not as skilled in tracking as you are, Estel, but I believe these are her prints; they are small, and she is not yet old enough to know how to walk with no print."

"I agree," Aragorn said. "Shall we inform your father?"

"Unfortunately there is no time," the elf grimaced. "We do not know where she is going with that creature, and knowing her she is planning something devious. We must hurry and catch up with her; she cannot be too far ahead."

The man nodded in agreement, and without another word they followed her trail north. They came across no one as they tracked her, which was unsurprising; the elfling was trying to avoid detection and sneak with her charge to some unknown destination. Within minutes the two were in the private royal garden that they were in not so long ago.

"Oh no," Legolas muttered as they entered the garden. "I know where she is going."

"Where?" Aragorn frowned as Legolas made his way to the northern end of the garden without bothering to check her trail.

"There is a little known gate here in this garden, hidden by the vines and bushes that surround this area. While it is always locked the key is in the keeping of my family. Laerwen has her own copy, just in case anything ever happened to our home, or to us. That clever, sly child."

They soon found the gate, and also found the gate to be unlocked. "Fortunate for us; my key is in my room," Legolas confessed as they exited. Once they exited the garden, they found themselves to be in a more wild part of Mirkwood. "These parts are not nearly as dangerous as the forests further away from my halls, but the sentries are only a mile north of here. Once Laerwen crosses those bounds- and knowing her, she'll manage to avoid the sentries- she will be in unguarded, unsafe territory. There are many orcs that roam near the northern border, though whether she knew that or not I cannot know."

"Perhaps she did," Aragorn said thoughtfully as they continued to follow her trail, though more slowly now that there were many ways that she could have turned. "Maybe she wants to return the orc to its own people."

"Elbereth save her if she comes across them," Legolas whispered. "That foolish child. We must find her before orcs find her first."


	7. One Big, Happy Family

Thank you for all the kind reviews! This is the last chapter of this odd tale, and I hope you enjoy it.

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Chapter Seven: One Big, Happy Family

Laerwen dashed through the forest, keeping her feet on a northern path. In her arms Arloth gurgled, but for the moment she ignored him. She knew that there were orcs north of her home, but she was not quite sure how far. She wanted to be close enough to them so they would find the orcling, but far enough so they would not find her. While she thought her Arloth was an absolute darling, she had heard many stories of orcs to make her blood run cold. The elfling was certain that, if raised by her, Arloth would be a decent orc, but as she did not have a choice she still wished for him to live as he was only a baby.

"I think this is far enough," she said uncertainly as her steps slowed to a halt. She found herself in a very dark part of the wood, a part that she imagined spiders and other fell creatures resided in. She knew that there were no spiders so far north, but Laerwen was frightened about the other beasts that lurked in the shadows.

In front of her was a rough path. She knew it was not made by elves, for she had never seen it on any maps, and while well-used, it was very unkempt. She did not know it, but she was looking at a very well-used orc trail.

"Well, Arloth, here's a path, but I don't think I just want to leave you on it, all alone," she said to the orc in her arms. He looked at her and grabbed a strand of her hair. Sighing, she untangled her hair from its grip. "No, no, love, you cannot do that anymore. I can't raise you; my father and mother forbid it." She sniffled, bringing the orc close to her. He went to grab her hair again and was successful.

As he chewed on one of the golden locks, the elf sobbed into the baby's chest. "Oh, I do not want to do this, I do not want to at all! I love you so much, Arloth, and I know you would be a very good orc if you lived in the palace. You know, you could be a wonderful warrior, or cook, or whatever you wanted to be if you lived there with me. I would take good care of you, you know that, right Arloth?" She glanced at the orc's face, ignoring the fact that it was still chewing on her hair. "You are so beautiful, and I don't want to let you go... but it is my duty as a princess. Oh, how I hate duty!" With that, she plopped down onto her knees, weeping as her charge gurgled in ignorant bliss.

There she sat awhile, ignoring her surroundings and lost in her own misery. It was this inattentive state that Aragorn and Legolas found her in.

"Laerwen!" Legolas whispered urgently as he rushed to her. The young elleth raised her head in surprise, unsightly tear tracks running down her puffy red face.

"Legolas." She ran her hand across her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"To get you, you silly girl! Do you have any idea where you are?"

"Not exactly, but I would have found my way home well enough-"

"This is an orc-trail, and a well used one at that! Come, before-" Legolas stopped suddenly, his body tense as he heard something come down the road.

"Orcs," Aragorn hissed, his hand on his blade.

"Too many for us to handle, especially with my sister here," Legolas muttered. "We must flee. Come, Laerwen, leave the orc and let us go!"

The child nodded, and with one more kiss on his forehead, gently set the orc on the ground.

"Out of the sheet, out of it!" Legolas quickly unwrapped the orc out of the sheet, shoving it to Aragorn. "Get her out of here, up a tree, while I make this orc smell less like an elf." Aragorn nodded, grabbing Laerwen's hand before searching for a suitable tree. He found one quickly and helped Laerwen onto the first branch before scrambling up himself. Legolas quickly covered the orc in leaves and mud, smearing it all over its body so as to cover the elvish scent that orcs always seemed to notice. He left the child on the side of the road and went up the tree just in time.

Around the corner came a band of over a score of orcs, grunting to one another in their own foul tongue. In the high tree the three of them could see the scene below them. Legolas held his young sister close, keeping his hand gently over her mouth so she would not alert them with an involuntary sound.

The squeals of the orcling soon alerted the band of its presence, and one of them came forward, scimitar out. The large orc soon found the cause of the noise, and he lowered the sword. Stooping down, he grabbed the infant by the leg and held it upside down, sniffing it.

'_Do not eat him... do not eat him... please do not eat him_,' Legolas thought desperately to himself. That was truly the last thing Laerwen needed to see.

To his utmost relief, the orc muttered something else to the rest of the tribe, and one of the orcs came forward. It took the orcling and held him properly, and the baby gurgled and squealed once more. With that, the band moved on, and within minutes they were out of sight and hearing.

* * *

"Oh, Legolas, the baby was accepted! Perhaps it was lost by one of them," Laerwen said once they were all on the ground. "That is well; Arloth can now belong with one big, happy family."

"Big, happy family," Legolas repeated, dumbstruck.

"Most interesting description of an orc tribe, to be sure," Aragorn said with a gleam in his eye.

Legolas shook his head. "Father is going to be furious when he finds out where you have gone."

"Oh, I know," the elfling said sadly as they started their way back to their home. "And I'll accept his punishment. But I simply had to do this; I knew it was the right thing, and I am happy that Arloth is with a family now, safe and sound. I couldn't stand the thought of _adar_ killing him in cold blood."

"What makes you believe he would have done that?" Legolas asked, startled by the revelation.

"What else would he have done?" the girl pointed out. "He wouldn't have done what I did; even if he did leave it just outside of the kingdom, he would never have gone close to the orcs' home. Just abandoning poor Arloth would have been murder in itself. I had to make sure that he was found."

"You knew that there were orc dens up there?" Aragorn glanced at her as if she were mad. "That was dangerous, and foolhardy."

"I don't care," she shot back, glaring up at the tall Ranger. "All I care is that Arloth is safe. I don't care if I am restricted to the palace for a _yen_; at least I know my beautiful Arloth will be fine."

Legolas rolled his eyes over her head, mouthing, 'She's hopeless.' Aragorn nodded wordlessly in agreement, and without further talk the trio made it back to Thranduil's halls without further adventure.

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In the end, Laerwen was not restricted for a _yen_, though she was told quite strictly that she would never pull a stunt like that again. She complied with all restrictions set on her, and soon enough they were gone. As she grew older, her odd affections for the orc grew less, though she never forgot the love she once held for it.

Legolas and Aragorn went on with their own lives, accomplishing great deeds throughout the years to come. Such deeds are told in other tales.

And Arloth the orcling? Well, no one can quite say for sure what happened to him, but some like to believe that perhaps the young elf's affection for the child stayed with him as he grew, and perhaps he was not as cruel as the rest of his kind.


End file.
